‘I cannot forget that ever’ –  Gautam Gambhir reflects on New Zealand’s whitewash at home

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir had a disappointing start to his international coaching career, as India lost 3-0 in the One-Day International series against Sri Lanka. Although the squad recovered with victory over Bangladesh in both Tests and T20Is, they were then humiliated by New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home.

Almost a year later, Gautam Gambhir said that the series failure remains in his memories.

The former India opener admitted that the visiting team totally outplayed the Rohit Sharma-led side, with their spinners doing the most damage. The loss was India’s first home series defeat since 2012, making it a particularly forgettable chapter in Gambhir’s early coaching career.

“I don’t think I can ever forget that in my coaching career. And I should not even forget that. And I’ve told this to the boys as well. It is important to look forward. But sometimes it is also important to remember the past as well. Because if you forget the past, then you can start taking things for granted. You should never look to take anything for granted. Because New Zealand, I felt that everyone thought that we could roll them over. But that’s the reality. And that’s the sport,” Gambhir said on JioHotstar in a chat with Aakash Chopra.

Later that year, the Indians began their tour of Australia on a high note with a victory, but ultimately lost the Test series. They recovered quickly, though, and won the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Since then, veteran players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from red-ball cricket, while Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from international cricket.

In this new age, Shubman Gill has taken over as Test captain, leading India to a 2-2 tie against England in the five-match away series and an unbeatable 1-0 lead against the West Indies at home.